Apparatus for fragmenting pitch



y 1 8 F. J. FONTANA 2,840,853

APPARATUS FOR FRAGMENTING PITCH Original Filed larch 10, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r 20 3:5 .3- I 5 2 i i 1 a e E 27 21 a a a l i i L L J INVENTOR w FRANK .1. FQNTANA ATTORN S July 1, 1958 F. J. FONTANA APPARATUS FOR FRAGMENTING PITCH Original Filed March 10, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FRANK J. FONTANA 5% ATI'O s v United States Patent APPARATUS FOR FRAGMENTING PITCH Frank J. Fontana, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to Richfield Oil Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Original application March 10, 1951, Serial No. 214,909,

now Patent No. 2,683,288, dated July 13, 1954. Digisdgglaznd this application October 15, 1953, Serial No.

2 Claims. (Cl. 18-2.4)

My invention relates to the water quenching of hot molten petroleum pitch to produce-a solid pitch conveniently adapted to conventional methods of storage and transportation. My invention is useful in the disposal of waste pitch produced in the conversion of heavy petroleum. oils. More particularly, my invention finds special utility in the pitching process, described in United States Patents 2,662,051 and 2,633,449, by providing an apparatus for converting the pitch produced therein to a form compatible with commercial handling methods whereby the pitch may be transported to a point of use or storage.

I have found that hot liquid pitch can be economically and practicably quenched with water on a commercial scale by pouring pre-cooled liquid pitch onto the surface of a body of water and forcibly submerging the blanket of pitch formed on the surface as soon as it forms.

The pitch thus produced has substantially even fragment size, high density, and is non-friable. The fragments formed are smooth, hard and glassy-like from about S-mesh size to'2 in size. They are particularly useful as a solid bituminous fuel, are easily dried and do not crumble when subjected to the rough handling of a screw conveyor.

Thus the apparatus of my invention basically includes a tank for confining a body of water coolant. ended box having closed sides is positioned above the bottom of the tank such that when the tank contains coolant Water the enclosing sides of the box extend vertically above and below the level of water in the tank. A device is provided for distribution pitch, suitably precooled, onto the surface of the Water coolant which is enclosed by the box. The bottom of the tank is inclined such that it extends to above the level of water coolant in the tank, and a drag device is employed which moves in a continuous path, first downwardly through the open ended box to the lower end of the bottom of the tank to submerge the blanket of pitch formed on the surface of the water coolant enclosed by the box. The path of travel of the drag device then returns upwardly along the inclined bottom of the tank to withdraw the pellets of solid pitch above the level of the water coolant. Thereafter, the drag device is returned to above the opened ended box for repetition of its movement.

It is also essential to the production of hard, fragmented pitch, as described above, that, prior to pouring the hot liquid pitch onto the surface of the water, it be cooled to a temperature between the softening point temperature of the pitch and the temperature at which the density of the liquid pitch is equal to that of the coolant water. Failure so to pre-cool the hot liquid pitch results in a soft, porous product, produces a less even fragment size and causes a large production of fines and floaters.

For a more complete understanding of the practical application of the principles of my invention reference is made to the appended drawings in which:

An open 2,840,853 Patented July 1, 1958 ICC Figure 1 is a partially sectioned elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken from line 3-3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged, partially sectioned elevation of the apparatus shown in Figures 1-3, inelusive; a

Figure 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, plan view showing the same portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-section taken at line 66 in Figure 4.

The reference numeral 1 designates a tank adapted to confine a body of water, open at its top and tapered inwardly and upwardly at one end. Thus bottom 2 of tank 1 inclines upwardly toward the tapered end. A launder 3 is provided to maintain the level of water surface 4 in tank 1.

At a central point of the Water surface 4, cross planks 5 and 6 and longitudinal planks 7 and 8 are positioned to form an open-ended box which confines a small portion of water surface 4. The planks 5, 6, 7 and 8 are positioned to extend a short distance above and below the level of water surface 4.

An inclined catch pan 9 is mounted above the tank in a position to direct the pitch poured thereon to fall into the center of the area of surface 4 enclosed by the box formed of planks 5, 6, 7 and 8. Catch pan 9 is conveniently provided with sides 10 and 11, and its lower edge is advantageously provided with an upwardly inclined serrated weir 12.

A continuous chain belt 13 is mounted on wheel and axle assemblies 14, 15 and 16 which are mounted to the sides of tank 1. r

The belt 13 comprises two continuous chains '17 and 18, which advantageously are of roller chain construction and which are adapted to pass over wheels 19, 20 and 21 of assemblies 14, 15 and 16, respectively. Wheels 19, 20 and 21 advantageously are of the sprocket type adapted to receive the links of chains 17 and 18. Cross bar 22 with drag bars 23 mounted thereon are spaced at intervals between chains 17 and 18. Chain belt 13 is conveniently driven by a motor 24 mounted at one of the wheel and axle assemblies, for example, the assembly 16 as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Chain 13 is so positioned by assemblies 14, 15 and 16 that it passes downwardly through the area of surface 4 confined by planks 5, 6, 7 and 8 to wheel and axle assembly 14 located at the lower end of bottom 2 within tank 1. Chain 13 then passes upwardly along inclined bottom 2 to wheel and axle assembly 16 located at the outer tip of the tapered end of tank 1. From assembly 16, chain 13 nearly reverses the direction of its path to return above tank 1 to assembly 15 and thereby com plete its path. Chain guards 27 are provided intermediate assemblies 14 and 15 to prevent the formation of pitch on chains 17 and 18 as chain belt 13 passes downwardly into tank 1.

Conveniently, tank 1 is provided with a hopper 25 mounted as a continuation of bottom 2 directly beneath assembly 16. Solid pitch dragged by chain belt 13 from the bottom of tank 1 is thereby discharged into hopper 25 Where it may be collected. Hopper 25 conventionally may be adapted to discharge onto a continuous conveyor 26, for example, for transfer to a zone of storage, use or disposal.

My apparatus is particularly useful for fragmenting pitch prepared as described in my United States Patent 2,683,288, column 4, line 47, to column 5, line 41.

Th'e'pre-cooled pitch is delivered without substantial temperature loss to the apparatus of my invention where it is poured onto catch pan 9, for example, through a nozzle. Catch pan 9 is suitably warmed prior to the initiation of operation to prevent its clogging during warm-up. Chain belt 13 is moving in a counterclockwise manner as illustrated in the drawings and water is placed in the tank to the level indicated so that planks 5, 6, 7 and 8 extend above and below the level of water surface 4 to a depth sufficient to confine the floating blanket of pitch.

As the liquid pitch falls off catch pan 9 into the openended box formed by planks 5, 6, 7 and '8 it is somewhat broken up and separated by serrated weir 12. Drag bars 23 which are continuously passing downwardly through the box pull the pitch under water surface 4. Any blanket of pitch forming on water surface 4 is confined between planks 5, 6, 7 and 8 and so is readily submerged by drag bars 23.

Once under water the pitch solidifies in fragments and sinks to the bottom of tank 1.

As the size of tank 1 is necessarily limited, cold water make-up must be added continuously or intermittently to prevent excessive rise of temperature in the Water in tank 1. The temperature of such water is not critical except that of course the cooler the water, the quicker the pitch solidifies. I have found it quite practical to maintain a water temperature in the range of about 110 F. or less. However, higher temperatures may be employed. A great part of the heat removed from the pitch is absorbed by the generation of steam from the water in immediate contact with the molten pitch with the result that the control of the average temperature of water in tank 1 is not difficult.

I have found it quite convenient to add make-up cold water by spraying it on chain belt 13, particularly on cross bars 22 and drag bars 23 just prior to their entry into the box formed by planks 5, 6, 7 and 8. Such point of addition serves a second useful result inasmuch as liquid pitch exhibits a minimum adhesive effect to wet metal. It is not quite as convenient to add make-up water by wetting the surface of catch pan 9 as such practice may cause excessive cooling of catch pan 9 and result in the partial solidification of pitch thereon with the eventual clogging of catch pan 9 and interruption of operation. The solidified pitch fragments sink to the bottom 2 of tank 1 where they are removed by the chain elt 13 as it moves upwardly across bottom 2, and are.

discharged into hopper 25, from which they may conveniently be removed on conveyor 26.

A possible alternative would involve the removal of catch pan 9 and introduction of pre-cooled liquid pitch directly into the area of water surface 4 enclosed between open-ended box formed by planks 5, 6, 7 and 8. However, I prefer the means illustrated by the apparatus shown in the drawings.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 214,909, filed March 10, 1951, now United States Patent 2,683,288.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the type described which comprises a tank, open at its upper end, adapted to confine a body of water coolant and having an inclined bottom extending at one end upwardly to above the level in said tank at which the surface of the water coolant is to be maintained, an open ended box having closed sides positioned in said tank above the bottom thereof with its enclosing sides extending vertically above and below the level at which the body of water coolant is to be maintained, a pitch distributing means located to distribute pitch onto that surface of the body of water to be confined in said tank which is enclosed by said open ended box, and a drag means adapted to move in a continuous path downwardly through the open ended box to the vicinity of the bottom of the tank at its lower end, upwardly along the inclined bottom of the tank to above the level at which the body of water coolant-is to be maintainedand back to above the open ended box where the path of the drag means is completed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the pitch distributing means is an inclined surface mounted above the tank having its lower end positioned immediately above the area confined by the open ended box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,865,367 Gorsuch June 28, 1932 2,238,997 Gaymon Apr. 22, 1941 2,379,816 Mabbs July 3, 1945 2,468,060 Gunnell Apr. 26, 1949 

